Justice Patrick Murray rejected the defence’s request for a conditional sentence of two years less a day, saying denunciation and deterrence had to be emphasized ahead of the offender’s rehabilitation.

Taweel was represented by Halifax lawyer Mark Knox at trial but has retained a high-profile Toronto lawyer for his appeal.

In a notice of appeal filed with the Nova Scotia Court of Appeal, Taweel says his conviction should be quashed and replaced with a verdict of not guilty or, in the alternative, a new trial ordered.

Taweel claims the trial judge erred in law by applying “starkly different” standards of scrutiny to the evidence presented by the Crown and the defence.

The judge accepted the complainant’s evidence despite unresolved inconsistencies but rejected Taweel’s evidence because of “displayed inconsistencies,” the notice reads.

“The appellant was found not to be credible because of a lack of detail, whereas a similar lack of detail was accepted with regard to the complainant.”

Taweel argues that “implausible” evidence from the alleged victim was either accepted or forgiven by the judge.

The appeal notice also claims the judge erred in using neutral facts to corroborate or confirm the complainant’s evidence.

Taweel says the judge used facts provided in his evidence to confirm the woman’s version of events, despite otherwise rejecting his evidence for failing to be straightforward and for being inconsistent.

Taweel is president of Taweel Developments Inc. and Taweel Construction Ltd. and chairman of the Charlottetown Downtown Residents Association.

He was found guilty of having sexual intercourse with the girl without her consent at his sister’s house in Dartmouth on three occasions. One of the encounters also involved oral sex.

Taweel was in his early 30s when he met the Nova Scotia girl on a beach in P.E.I., where her family has a cottage.

The complainant, now 37, testified that Taweel warned her not to tell anyone about their relationship. She said she felt pressured to comply with his sexual demands.

Taweel claimed the girl told him she was 16. He said they engaged in consensual sexual activity on the Island, but he denied having sex with her in Dartmouth.

The legal age of sexual consent was 14 in 1991.

Taweel’s appeal says the judge misused evidence relating to events in P.E.I. to support the complainant’s credibility and, in effect, treated it as similar-fact evidence to render the events in Nova Scotia more likely to have occurred.

The judge also erred in imposing federal prison time, Taweel claims. “He overemphasized the element of deterrence and failed to consider the rehabilitation of the offender.”

Taweel is expected to apply for bail pending the outcome of his appeal.